While we all grapple with the social and economic impacts of a global pandemic, the Government of Ontario is quietly setting the stage for development projects to proceed without public consultation or the right to appeal. The recent flurry of Minister’s Zoning Orders is fast-tracking development on farmland and greenspace. Expediting this sort of short-sighted development while keeping Ontarians in the dark does not serve the public interest.
MZO’s are almost undetectable because they do not require public consultation and there is no appeal which is extremely undemocratic. They were designed for exceptional circumstances, not to circumvent the Environmental Bill of Rights.
The province is currently trying to expand the scope of MZO’s. You can have your say about this until Jan 30/21. https://ero.ontario.ca/notice/019-2811
You can also find petitions regarding MZO’s, Stop Sprawl and Grow the Greenbelt, and Protecting Provincially Significant Wetlands on the Ontario Nature site: https://ontarionature.org/take-action/advocate-for-nature/